THE NURSING PROCESS IN
PHARMACOLOGY – CORE
CONCEPTS & EXAM PREP
(2025–2026)
the nursing process - CORRECT ANSWERS--
assessment
- nursing diagnosis
- planning
,- implementation
- evaluation
The nurse answers a patient's call light and
finds the patient sitting up in bed and
requesting pain medication. What will the
nurse do first?
A) Check the orders and give the patient the
requested pain medication.
B) Provide comfort measures to the patient.
C) Assess the patient's pain and pain level.
D) Evaluate the effectiveness of previous
pain medications. - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
Rationale: The nurse should always assess a
patient before any intervention. Although
,the nurse will check the orders and possibly
give the medication (and possibly even
perform the actions in responses B and D),
the first priority is assessment.
Common nursing diagnoses related to drug
therapy develop from data associated with:
- CORRECT ANSWERS-Deficient knowledge
Risk of injury
Readiness for enhanced knowledge
Various disturbances, deficits, excesses, or
impairments in bodily function
Other concerns related to drug therapy
The patient's medication administration
record lists two antiepileptic medications
that are due at 0900 hours, but the patient
, is to take nothing by mouth (NPO) for a
barium study. The nurse's co-worker
suggests giving the medications
intravenously because the patient is NPO.
What will the nurse do?
A) Give the medications orally (PO) with a
small sip of water.
B) Give the medications via the intravenous
(IV) route because the patient is NPO.
C) Hold the medications until after the test
is completed.
D) Call the health care provider to clarify
the instructions. - CORRECT ANSWERS-D
Rationale: The dosage for the IV route
would not be the same as for the PO route.
Holding the medications may cause drug
PHARMACOLOGY – CORE
CONCEPTS & EXAM PREP
(2025–2026)
the nursing process - CORRECT ANSWERS--
assessment
- nursing diagnosis
- planning
,- implementation
- evaluation
The nurse answers a patient's call light and
finds the patient sitting up in bed and
requesting pain medication. What will the
nurse do first?
A) Check the orders and give the patient the
requested pain medication.
B) Provide comfort measures to the patient.
C) Assess the patient's pain and pain level.
D) Evaluate the effectiveness of previous
pain medications. - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
Rationale: The nurse should always assess a
patient before any intervention. Although
,the nurse will check the orders and possibly
give the medication (and possibly even
perform the actions in responses B and D),
the first priority is assessment.
Common nursing diagnoses related to drug
therapy develop from data associated with:
- CORRECT ANSWERS-Deficient knowledge
Risk of injury
Readiness for enhanced knowledge
Various disturbances, deficits, excesses, or
impairments in bodily function
Other concerns related to drug therapy
The patient's medication administration
record lists two antiepileptic medications
that are due at 0900 hours, but the patient
, is to take nothing by mouth (NPO) for a
barium study. The nurse's co-worker
suggests giving the medications
intravenously because the patient is NPO.
What will the nurse do?
A) Give the medications orally (PO) with a
small sip of water.
B) Give the medications via the intravenous
(IV) route because the patient is NPO.
C) Hold the medications until after the test
is completed.
D) Call the health care provider to clarify
the instructions. - CORRECT ANSWERS-D
Rationale: The dosage for the IV route
would not be the same as for the PO route.
Holding the medications may cause drug
